Blog Post

A Vision for the North Park Blocks

Posted By Kate Washington on March 13, 2016

1 Comment

Livability, Pearl News

Meeting Held with City Officials

Following the disruptive summer of 2015 in the North Park Blocks (NPB), there has been a good deal of discussion and citizen activism to assure that there is not a repeat occurrence this coming summer, or ever again.

Residents and businesses adjacent to NPB gathered their forces late last summer to engage the city in efforts to promote greater activation of the park and stronger police enforcement of criminal behavior. The Pearl District Neighborhood Association Livability and Safety Committee (LSC) joined the effort and developed an activation work plan to bring more events and activity to the park.

Members of the NPB Consortium and LSC recently met with the Parks and Recreation Bureau’s top leadership and representatives from the Mayor’s and Commissioner Fritz’ offices to discuss ways to better program the North Park Blocks. There are challenges to holding some events due to fragile grass and tree roots being damaged, but many ideas were discussed including a greater long term vision for the park.

While the major focus of this meeting was on short term solutions, the NPB/LSC group asked the Parks Bureau to take a longer term, holistic view of the park that would coordinate with the upcoming upgrade of the playground, the City’s Green Loop Plan, the anticipated Flanders street bike bridge and the post office site.

The NPB/LSC vision for the North Park Blocks in 2016 and beyond should embody stimulation, movement, beauty and contemplation. The central location, a major connector between China Town, the Pearl and Downtown creating a cultural infusion where residents, students, tourists and all Portlanders come to enjoy communal interaction, commerce and reflection, bustling and brewing with creativity and joy.

Both city staff and NPB/LSC agreed to holding ongoing meetings to continue the conversation with the next meeting anticipated in early April.

Reported by Stanley Penkin

Author: Kate Washington

Kate is the PDNA's Communication Committee chair leader.

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Posted By Adonay Solleiroon December 1, 2013

PBOT has updated its Street Seats program and set an application deadline of March 1, 2014. If you are unfamiliar, Street Seats is a program of the Portland Bureau of Transportation that allows organizations to build a temporary platform in the on‐street parking lane. The platform is the same height as the curb and extends the sidewalk space in order to add additional outdoor seating for a restaurant or to provide additional public space for people to stop, sit, and take in the life of the street.
Based on similar programs in San Francisco and New York City, the Portland Bureau of Transportation experimented with a pilot Street Seats project in 2012 and instituted an ongoing program in spring 2013.
For the 2014 Street Seats Program the following changes have been made:

10 new locations are available for 2014. Applicants will be competing for a maximum of ten (10) new Street Seat locations. Quality of design and availability of public seating will be two of the prioritized evaluation criteria. Serious applicants are encouraged to seek out professional design assistance.

Application deadline. The application deadline for new proposals and renewals is March 1, 2014. This will allow the Transportation Bureau to evaluate applications together and involve neighborhood and business associations.

Design document package. Street Seat applicants will be required to submit a complete set of detailed proposal drawings in order to be considered for approval, including a full set of detailed design drawings.

Community support documentation. Applicants will also be required to submit documentation of community support as an application attachment. The extent of demonstrated neighborhood support for the proposal will be one of the evaluation criteria used to select submissions.

Design Guidelines. Changes in 2014 to the Street Seat Design Guidelines include a reduction of the maximum platform width from seven feet to six feet.

Café Seating Permit. Applicants who have an approved Café Seating Permit for existing outdoor sidewalk seating will need to submit a revised Sidewalk Café Concept Drawing and sign a new Responsible Party Agreement form.

Renewal applications. Applicants who wish to renew an existing Street Seat installations will be required to complete a new application form each year. In addition, they must provide demonstration of continued community support for installation and drawings detailing any proposed design changes, if applicable.

Today, Portland has eight Street Seat installations, seven of which were organized by restaurants to offer outdoor café seating. One installation has been designed solely for open public seating and is located at the Center for Architecture at NW Flanders and NW 11th Avenue.
While encouraging additional restaurant and café proposals, the Transportation Bureau will prioritize design proposals that are open to full public use, such as the NW Flanders installation.
Proposals may be seasonal or year-round, and may be located in any part of the city, except the downtown core from West Burnside to SW Harrison Street, and SW Second to 10th streets.
Application deadline is March 1, 2014. Application packets as well current Street Seat locations may be found at: www.PortlandOregon.gov/Transportation/StreetSeats
A pool of Street Seats photos from Portland and elsewhere may be found at: http://www.flickr.com/groups/pdxstreetseats/

Posted By Lewison September 9, 2011

Join us in celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Pearl Party!
Date: Friday, September 16, 2011
Time: 5:00 - 9:00 PM
Place: NW 13th Ave. between NW Hoyt & Irving
NW 13th Avenue will be transformed yet again, as the Annual Pearl Party fundraiser celebrates its twentieth year.
Sample free food from the Pearl's fine restaurants, and quaff beer and wine from local breweries and wineries at the free bar (donations encouraged).
Enjoy live music and a raffle of donated gift items and services from Pearl District merchants.
The Pearl Party is the PDNA's major fundraising event, and funds are returned directly to the community in the form of neighborhood improvement projects. Come out to the Pearl Party, and have a great time with your neighbors and coworkers.

Posted By Kate Washingtonon August 13, 2013

Every year the Pearl District Neighborhood Association hosts its annual fundraiser and block party. This year on September 13th, we will be celebrating our 22nd Annual Block Party. This is our neighborhood association’s sole opportunity to raise funds to help keep our neighborhood looking great. The PDNA sponsors several programs such as dog waste stations, graffiti abatement and trash pick up and we continue to create more initiatives each year. In return we ask the residential buildings and businesses to support us by sponsoring our fundraiser.
This is our only fundraiser of the year. It's a great chance for Pearlies to descend from their lofts and meet their neighbors over some wine and great food. It's also the local businesses’ opportunity to get in front of their local customers. For the price of a few food platters, restaurants can market in the way that works best - by taste. The PDNA is usually all about community and leaves promoting local businesses to the PDBA, but this is when we reach out for help, so we can fund all our other programs for the year.
We will be closing down NW 13th between NW Irving and NW Hoyt from 5pm – 9pm on Friday September 13th. This truly is a fantastic event in which many restaurants around the neighborhood contribute by offering great eats at no charge and turn the street into a mini taste of the Pearl. We hope you can join us and learn more about the PDNA and all our initiatives as well as take an opportunity to enjoy live music, great food and drink while mingling with your neighbors.
For more information please contact Yasmine Foroud, PDNA Fundraising Chair at Yasmine@realtytrust.com

Comments

Frank Rudloff, President - Portland Bocce League

The Portland Bocce League is interested in maintaining a relationship with the PDNA, since our principle base of activity is at the north end of the North Park Blocks. We activate the NPB in what we believe is a positive way. We also face the difficulties presented by some park users/campers each week night. 2015 was stressful for our group, too, and left many talking about finding other venues to play bocce. Our website is: http://www.portlandbocce.com
We would like to get to know other members of the Pearl District community better, and would like to participate in ongoing discussions with the City regarding conditions in the North Park Blocks.

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The Pearl District Neighborhood Association (PDNA) is one of Portland's 95 Neighborhood Associations. We are volunteers who live, work, or own property in the Pearl District. We work together to keep the neighborhood clean, safe, and fun.